Department of Commerce August 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) and its advisory entities will hold public meetings.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to develop recommendations for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder accountability measures.

This proposed rule would establish opening dates and adjust quotas for the 2014 fishing season for the Atlantic commercial shark fisheries. Quotas would be adjusted as allowable based on any over- and/or underharvests experienced during 2013 and previous fishing seasons. In addition, NMFS proposes season openings based on adaptive management measures to provide, to the extent practicable, fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in all regions and areas. The proposed measures could affect fishing opportunities for commercial shark fishermen in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to the U.S. Air Force (USAF), Eglin Air Force Base (Eglin AFB), to take marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to Maritime Strike Operations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The USAF's activities are considered military readiness activities.

NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to construction activities as part of a wharf recapitalization project. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting public comment on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Navy to take, by harassment only, two species of marine mammal during the specified activity.

The Department of Commerce (Department) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on brass sheet and strip from Italy for the period March 1, 2012, through February 28, 2013.

NMFS proposes to specify an annual catch limit of 346,000 lb for Deep 7 bottomfish in the main Hawaiian Islands for the 2013-14 fishing year. If and when the annual catch limit is projected to be reached, NMFS would close the commercial and non-commercial fisheries for MHI Deep 7 bottomfish for the remainder of the fishing year. The proposed specifications and fishery closure support the long-term sustainability of Hawaii bottomfish.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber (polyester staple fiber) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) for the period May 1, 2012, through April 30, 2013, based on the withdrawal of requests for review.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BS/AI) groundfish plan teams will meet in Seattle, WA.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Joint Groundfish/Habitat Committees on September 5, 2013 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC; Responsible Party: Bonnie Ponwith), 75 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami, FL 33149 has been issued a permit to take loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), and olive ridley (L. olivacea) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

We, NMFS, will hold public hearings related to our Proposed Designation of Marine Critical Habitat for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

NMFS proposes regulations to implement management measures in Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP) to ensure sustainable management of bluefin tuna consistent with the 2006 HMS FMP addressing ongoing management challenges in the Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries. Amendment 7 also proposes minor regulatory changes related to the management of Atlantic HMS. Amendment 7 was developed by NMFS under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). The proposed measures would reallocate the U.S. bluefin tuna quota among domestic fishing categories. The rule would also implement several actions applicable to the pelagic longline fishery, including: Individual Bluefin Quotas (IBQs); two new Gear Restricted Areas, access to current closed areas based on performance criteria; closure of the pelagic longline fishery when annual bluefin tuna quota is reached; elimination of target catch requirements associated with retention of incidental bluefin tuna in the pelagic longline fishery; mandatory retention of legal-sized bluefin tuna caught as bycatch; expanded monitoring requirements, including electronic monitoring via cameras and bluefin tuna catch reporting via Vessel Monitoring System (VMS); and transiting provisions for pelagic and bottom longline vessels. The proposed rule would also require VMS use and reporting by the Purse Seine category; change the start date of the Purse Seine category to June 1; expand Automated Catch Reporting System use to the General and Harpoon categories; provide additional flexibilities for inseason adjustment of the General category quota and Harpoon category retention limits; and allocate a portion of the Angling category Trophy South subquota to the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, it would adopt several measures not directly related to bluefin tuna management, including implementing a U.S. North Atlantic albacore tuna quota; modifying rules regarding permit category changes; and implementing minor changes in the Highly Migratory Species regulations for administrative or clarification purposes.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California. This action is necessary because the directed harvest allocation total for the second seasonal period (July 1-September 14) is projected to be reached by the effective date of this rule. From the effective date of this rule until September 15, 2013, Pacific sardine may be harvested only as part of the live bait fishery or incidental to other fisheries; the incidental harvest of Pacific sardine is limited to 40-percent by weight of all fish per trip. Fishing vessels must be at shore and in the process of offloading at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, August 22, 2013.

Based on Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) recommendations, the NMFS is issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking to provide background information and request public comment on potential changes to Federal American lobster regulations. The proposed measures for the lobster trap fishery are intended to address the Commission's recommendations for Federal action to address the poor condition of the Southern New England (SNE) lobster stock and foster stock rebuilding. The rulemaking action considers management measures that would reduce lobster exploitation by 10 percent and reduce trap fishing effort in the SNE lobster management areas.

NOAA Fisheries announces six inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada Border to Humboldt South Jetty.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and/or exporters of certain frozen warmwater shrimp (frozen shrimp) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam). For information on the estimated subsidy rates, see the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' section of this notice.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and/or exporters of certain frozen warmwater shrimp (frozen shrimp) from Ecuador. For information on the estimated subsidy rates, see the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' section of this notice.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and/or exporters of certain frozen warmwater shrimp (frozen shrimp) from India. For information on the estimated subsidy rates, see the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' section of this notice.

The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that countervailable subsidies are not being provided to producers and/or exporters of certain frozen warmwater shrimp (frozen shrimp) from the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesia).

In his June 2013 Executive Memorandum on Expanding America's Leadership in Wireless Innovation, President Obama directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to design and conduct a pilot program to monitor spectrum usage in real time in selected communities throughout the country. NTIA's budget request to Congress for fiscal year (FY) 2014 seeks an initial $7.5 million research and development investment for a two-year pilot program to determine the benefits of an automated spectrum measurement and data collection system to better analyze actual spectrum usage. NTIA issues this Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to seek public comment on this proposed spectrum monitoring pilot program that, if funded, would develop and deploy a prototype system to monitor spectrum usage in up to ten metropolitan areas throughout the United States. The NOI requests input from all interested stakeholders on the measurement system's design, features, deployment options, operational parameters, expected utility, potential benefits, and other issues. Subject to the availability of funds, NTIA will design, develop, validate, and field this prototype system and evaluate whether a more comprehensive monitoring program would create additional opportunities for more efficient spectrum access through, for example, increased and more dynamic sharing. NTIA intends to use the input received in response to this NOI to help design and implement the spectrum monitoring program.

Notice is hereby given that David Lapota, Ph.D., Department of the Navy, SPAWAR Systems Center, Pacific, Environmental Sciences Division, 53475 Strothe Road, San Diego, CA 92152, has been issued a permit to take black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) for purposes of scientific research.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed topics of discussion for a public meeting of the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (Committee).